A few weeks ago I went to Mr. BBQ on Wyckoff with my friend, Andrew. We got some sort of mixed grill, fried plantains, and at last minute Andrew ordered a bowl of vegetable soup. While the mixed grill was good, the vegetable soup was incredible. You could tell it spent hours simmering on a stove, and the slow, home cooked taste absolutely blew me away. From that day on, all I could think about was soup; I think I’ve had more soup in the last three weeks than I ate all winter. So this week, I decided to make some myself.

Ingredients:
Olive oil for sauteing
1 parsnip, sliced
4 bulbs of Texas onions, sliced
1 clove of garlic, sliced
1 large potato, cubed
1 bunch broccoli, roughly chopped
32 oz. chicken or vegetable broth (1 whole carton)
1 pinch marjoram
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
Crema mexicana (optional)

Directions:
Sauté parsnip, onions and garlic in olive oil until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Add in bay leaf, marjoram, salt and pepper and saute for about a minute, then add in the potatoes and broccoli. Stir the ingredients to mix well, then pour in the broth. Cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender (about 25-30 minutes).

If you want a more “rustic” soup, you can serve it at that stage, but I wanted a thick soup so (after removing the bay leaf) I snapped the immersion blender attachment onto my hand mixer, and whirred until most of the vegetables were puréed (a blender works too). For a little something special, I added a few swirls of crema mexicana on top.

The great thing about this soup is that it’s hearty without being too heavy, so it can be enjoyed year round.

Oh, and I also baked a pie.